In 2006-2007, more than 54,000 (or one in seven) babies across Canada were born preterm or small for their gestational age (SGA). These babies are often at higher risk for morbidity and mortality than are full-term babies with normal birth weight, and account for a disproportionately high percentage of healthcare costs among newborns. This article highlights key findings from a recent report by...

SGA fetuses are a heterogeneous group comprising fetuses that have failed to achieve their growth potential (fetal growth restriction, FGR) and fetuses that are constitutionally small. Approximately 50–70% of fetuses with a birthweight below tenth centile for gestational age are constitutionally small, and the lower the centile for defining SGA, the higher the likelihood of FGR. On the other ha...

The gestational age of 302 neonates whose obstetric gestational age was known was assessed at birth using the Dubowitz method; it was obtained from Dubowitz score both graphically from a nomogram and by calculation from the corresponding equation. The values obtained graphically differed to a lesser extent from the obstetric gestational age than did the gestation derived algebraically. With inf...

BACKGROUND Recent studies have demonstrated that low and high birth-weight at birth are risk factors of developing diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine if the abnormal birth-weight is related with hyperinsulinemia and elevated index of the Homeostasis Model assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) at birth, in at term newborns. METHODS Newborns with gestational age between 38 a...

BACKGROUND Preterm birth is often associated with impaired growth. Small for gestational age status confers additional risk. AIM To determine the body water content of appropriately grown (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) preterm infants in order to provide a baseline for longitudinal studies of growth after preterm birth. METHODS All infants born at the Hammersmith and Queen Charlo...

OBJECTIVE To assess the risk factors for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births. METHODS All live births occurring in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, between October and December 1993 were identified and mothers interviewed soon after delivery. Birthweight was recorded by the maternity staff. Gestational age was obtained from the mothers' recall of their date of last menstrual period. SGA was de...

OBJECTIVE To examine whether maternal low blood glucose (BG), low body mass index (BMI) and small stature have a joint effect on the risk of delivery of a small-for-gestational age (SGA) infant. DESIGN Women from a perinatal cohort were followed up from receiving perinatal healthcare to giving birth. SETTING Beichen District, Tianjin, China between June 2011 and October 2012. PARTICIPANTS...

The authors examined whether early ultrasound dating (≤20 weeks) of gestational age (GA) in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses may underestimate gestational duration and therefore the incidence of SGA birth. Within a population-based case-control study (May 2002-June 2005) of Iowa SGA births and preterm deliveries identified from birth records (n = 2,709), the authors illustrate a novel me...

There have been only a few reports on the sympathoadrenal and renin-angiotensin systems in children of small gestational age. The purpose of the present study was to investigate plasma levels of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) activity, angiotensin and catecholamines in 8- to 13-year-old children and to determine whether there are correlations between the components of these systems with bo...

Seventy-five small for gestational age (SGA) children were studied in a randomized, double-blind, dose-response GH trial with either 1 or 2 mg GH/m(2).d. Mean (SD) age at the start of GH therapy was 7.3 (2.2) yr. Data were compared with Dutch reference data. In SGA boys, mean (SD) age at onset of puberty was 12.0 (1.0) and 11.6 (0.7) yr, and in SGA girls it was 10.9 (1.1) and 10.6 (1.2) yr when...